Augustines Doctrine of Grace and its Impact on The 21ST Century Anglican Christian:

Abstract

The doctrine of salvation is crucial for Christian faith. Salvation is understood and embraced differently among various people. These varied interpretations have led one to question, just what is salvation and how should it be interpreted to enable the individual appropriate it in daily living? This dilemma is discussed from the context of the Anglican Church in an attempt to find out how the 21st Century Anglican Christian can live out their Christian faith based on the understanding of salvation through grace. The study is working on a rationale that salvation is for the Anglican Christian seen through the sacraments. The study observes Augustine’s understanding of salvation through grace and compares this with the biblical meaning of grace. The methodology employed by the researcher is Karl Rahner’s transcendental hermeneutics of Grace which employs an Anthropological and theological pattern in understanding and appropriating salvation through grace. The findings of the study reveal that while Anglican Christians have embraced the doctrine of salvation by grace, they may have misunderstood the concept of grace raised by Augustine. Augustine argued for the need of first confessing one’s wicked ways and only then can one be delivered from all forms of corruptions. The study also found out that the human question which is anthropological should lead to a radical openness to God through Jesus Christ who is the self-revelation of God to man. The study concludes by recommending that there is need for the Anglican Church to teach and emphasize on grace and afterwards live out the grace through the sacraments. Salvation should make one a better person –loving others and humbly seeking peace with God on a daily basis. Grace is not an achievement but an ongoing God’s self-revelation and communication to the Christian.